DAY 54 – Mile 914 – John Muir Trail

I’m taking a couple of much needed zero days after a rather challenging hike through the John Muir Trail. Upon leaving lone Pine, we had serious questions about the conditions in the high Sierra so I picked up a pair of crampons and hoped for the best. When I got to the west side of Whitney I decided to take the 14 mile diversion up a very snow-covered route to the top of Whitney. The remainder of the hike on the JMT was the prettiest, if not the most challenging section so far. Each day we faced a 12,000 or 13,000 foot snow covered pass to get over. This is the highest part of the entire PCT. I ended up using The crampons in the more exposed sections and was frequently post holeing through mid thigh snow. In the next few days I will be traveling through very familiar country, walking back into my beloved Yosemite, it feels like coming home.